bowak

What does everyone think about the 'British*' monthly pay system?

Posted by EdibleBeans-on-Toast@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 595 comments

bowak@reddit

It might be, but it also might be anecdotal as I found the opposite when younger.  Weekly pay I found out quite easy to put £50 aside for building up money for holidays, festivals, gigs etc. But when I switched to getting paid monthly it was a lot more tempting to suddenly have £200 that could be splashed on an Xbox 360 etc.  It may be of course that monthly works better for more people than weekly, but I don't think it's a certain thing.

What is a place in the UK that has bad reputation but is actually nice?

Posted by Desperate-Drawer-572@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 575 comments

bowak@reddit

Best thing about Blackpool is it makes a great midpoint for a bike ride. Can get genuinely great fish & chips from The Cottage, chill by the sea to let it settle, then the prevailing winds help with getting back out of there as quickly as possible!

What is a place in the UK that has bad reputation but is actually nice?

Posted by Desperate-Drawer-572@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 575 comments

bowak@reddit

Birmingham feels too me like Manchester of about 20 years ago. Like it's just getting into the swing of de-grimming the centre. Caveat that I've only been twice in the last few years so won't have seen all of it, but it didn't tempt me into going back. And to be fair while I love Manchester there's plenty of shit bits there too.

What is a place in the UK that has bad reputation but is actually nice?

Posted by Desperate-Drawer-572@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 575 comments

bowak@reddit

Preston's got 2 superpowers for this type of thread. It's kind of near everywhere in the north west, and a huge number of green spaces.  Not just the big parks which are much nicer than a lot of people would expect, but there are a lot of connecting bits of green/woodland paths too all over the place so you can walk between a lot of areas with a good chunk of the route not being on streets if you want, plus there are a lot of little parks and even micro parks nearly everywhere too. It's the sort of thing that can be easily missed if you just pass through on the main roads but they really help make it a nice enough place to live.

What is a place in the UK that has bad reputation but is actually nice?

Posted by Desperate-Drawer-572@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 575 comments

bowak@reddit

I've travelled between Preston and Manchester so many times over the years whilst living in both multiple times that the train almost feels like it takes 0 time. That means that the Black Horse kind of feels like it's really only about half a mile from Grand Central & The Salisbury.

What would you do with 250k?

Posted by Afraid_Robo_Elephant@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 221 comments

bowak@reddit

About £10k on a couple of big holidays. One would be getting to Rome and a couple of other spots in Italy I haven't made it to yet. A second would be doing a bike tour from Verona to Istanbul so that over 2 trips I would have cycled from home to Asia. Then about £50k - £90k on really doing up my house. I like where I live, can happily stay here long term so I'd like to redo all the electrics, decorating, guttering, new flat roof on the extension, replace the carpets and refresh the wooden flooring, get some built in shelves in a couple of rooms, overhaul the bathroom & kitchen and as my garden backs onto the canal get the outside neatened up as an outdoor entertaining space and get a canoe that I can store there. With that sort of a windfall I think I'd even go so far as moving out to a nearby rental for a few months so I could empty mine before the works as it would make it so much easier. Then I'd whack the remainder into investing in a global tracker with the main aim being to let me retire early, but the money would be enough to act as a medium term "fuck this job" fund if needed.

People who work in bars / pubs: What's the most incriminating thing you've heard patrons talk about?

Posted by CorrectTemperature65@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 327 comments

Do you feel like you can’t have fun?

Posted by Humanracer45@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 69 comments

bowak@reddit

Last time I was at Download in 2023 there were some people sat in chairs in the middle-front of the tents! Bloody lethal and take up so much space.

Do you have any interests you feel you have to hide/keep low-key?

Posted by Proper_Emu_2296@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 531 comments

Do you have any interests you feel you have to hide/keep low-key?

Posted by Proper_Emu_2296@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 531 comments

bowak@reddit

That type of train ride sounds delightful.  My current one from Liverpool to Preston with a bunch of Blackpool lads behind me loudly outbantering each other about last night's exploits is a tad less restful.

Why do so many places in the UK only play music from10-15 years ago?

Posted by BlueHeron0_0@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 164 comments

Would you retire if won a really big prize on the Euromillions?

Posted by Sad-Passage-3247@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 518 comments

bowak@reddit

I guess this falls into passion project to some level but I think I could understand it to at least some degree for people who are still new in a job they had been working towards for years.

Would you retire if won a really big prize on the Euromillions?

Posted by Sad-Passage-3247@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 518 comments

bowak@reddit

Don't forget you will have more free time to spend money in though!  It's this one annoying fact that stops me in my tracks every time I think about dropping my hours at work.

Would you retire if won a really big prize on the Euromillions?

Posted by Sad-Passage-3247@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 518 comments

bowak@reddit

Good god of course I'd quit.  Though as once anyone knows you've won big you will never be able to keep it a secret again I would instantly put in my month's notice at work so I can leave without it being known.  Considering how much planning, getting used to it, Rightmove scouting etc I'd be doing I honestly think a few weeks of a sort of normality to get my head in the right place before actually making any bigger changes would help in the medium to long term anyway.

What is the most awkward thing you've seen, or been part of, IRL?

Posted by CobaltBlue389@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 227 comments

What is the most awkward thing you've seen, or been part of, IRL?

Posted by CobaltBlue389@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 227 comments

What is the most awkward thing you've seen, or been part of, IRL?

Posted by CobaltBlue389@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 227 comments

How to help my unemployed adult brother?

Posted by Sweet_Virus36@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 310 comments

How often do you find that people don’t know what a dozen means?

Posted by Box_of_rodents@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 64 comments

What makes you feel lucky to live in the UK?

Posted by Desperate-Drawer-572@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 861 comments

bowak@reddit

Though that is largely because we've had such a long term settled ruling class (to the point that even when the Dutch conquered us in 1689 most of the people at the top kept their place and everyone pretended there was actually no invasion at all) that they've made sure they're the ones who get to benefit from corruption.

Does literally everyone have a ride or die football club?

Posted by Lower-Savings-794@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 58 comments

What’s the actual etiquette if a Deliveroo driver can’t find your flat in a shared building - would you go outside or wait at the door?

Posted by Jakevans97ss@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 56 comments

bowak@reddit

If your flat is confusing then I think it's on you to be ready to meet them outside. It might not be your fault that the layout throws people off, but it's even more not the delivery driver's fault.

Inspired by an opposite post, what is the modt exciting town/city in the UK?

Posted by Desperate-Letter2395@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 41 comments

What is the most nothing town/city in the uk?

Posted by Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 1197 comments

bowak@reddit

For me it's all of Lincolnshire I think as I just forget it's there and have only ever briefly passed through it a few times. The whole of Eastern England is a bit of a mystery to me, but Norfolk is at least infamous for remoteness and inbreeding. Whereas I only ever recall hearing about Lincolnshire when I see anyone discussing if it's in the north or not.

What is the most nothing town/city in the uk?

Posted by Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 1197 comments

bowak@reddit

And a port. And the weird small graves from the cover of The Best of Black Sabbath. Definitely tips too much notable stuff to win the thread.

What is the most nothing town/city in the uk?

Posted by Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 1197 comments

What is the most nothing town/city in the uk?

Posted by Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 1197 comments

bowak@reddit

Ingleby Barwick is definitely in contention for being a very nothing place. But they have done quite a good job with all the footpaths and cycle paths linking the estates up. It's a little bit more interesting if you live on the side with the woods as you can vary up walks down to the river.

What is the most nothing town/city in the uk?

Posted by Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 1197 comments

bowak@reddit

I was in Colne a couple of weeks ago to start a bike ride and it looks like there's a few hopefully half decent pubs there.  Plus it was nicer than I remembered it being, this tbf the only time I've been there was in 98 and that was also to start a bike ride.

Do you change energy supplier everytime your fix is up?

Posted by Low-Rooster5398@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 40 comments

bowak@reddit

I go with the cheapest fix that's fit at least a year unless it's a supplier known to fuck up billing properly, or if it's only a few quid difference as at that point why bother with the admin of it.

Where shall I go on the LNER network?

Posted by Apprehensive-Unit345@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 154 comments

bowak@reddit

If you like the theatre then Pitlochry could be a good shout. It's really nice anyway and Alan Cumming's in charge of the programme there now.  Or Alnmouth for some nice scenery without having to spend too long on the train. Even first class is a drag after a while.

Whats an enshitified product/service that people might not realise is terrible now because it fell out of style?

Posted by Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 241 comments

Has anyone left a six figure job and gone minimum wage or part time because they can't hack it?

Posted by allthegear-andnoidea@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 509 comments

bowak@reddit

Obviously anecdotal but I know someone who went right back to being a prison officer after doing a few months at Aldi as they got a big dose of the grass isn't always greener.

Is is it normal to get carded when ordering ginger ale?

Posted by whitericefanatic4@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 118 comments

Why was the Human Centipede 2 originally banned in Britain?

Posted by Plutonium_Nitrate_94@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 128 comments

Is is it normal to get carded when ordering ginger ale?

Posted by whitericefanatic4@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 118 comments

bowak@reddit

And it still takes an idiot to ID someone for ordering a ginger ale no matter how much law stacks up behind them.  Or a fool.  Or a bit of a tosser. Or a very, very silly billy! That barman is one of the above.

If you are talking in a casual context with someone who has been knighted, do you address them with "sir" like you have to in the military?

Posted by Optimal_Tennis8673@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 143 comments

What’s something that instantly tells you someone has never had to survive normal British life?

Posted by James_Whiteside45@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 297 comments

bowak@reddit

Right so you personally don't like cities. That is fine, but it doesn't mean that bulldozing big chunks of them just so it's convenient for your preference is good for the rest of us!  At least now I can understand your viewpoint, it's a mix of your tastes and an undercurrent of selfishness.

What’s something that instantly tells you someone has never had to survive normal British life?

Posted by James_Whiteside45@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 297 comments

bowak@reddit

Walkability allows people to live in their neighbourhoods, not merely exist.  You can get from London to Gatwick quickly enough by regular, fairly fast trains. 

What’s something that instantly tells you someone has never had to survive normal British life?

Posted by James_Whiteside45@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 297 comments

What’s something that instantly tells you someone has never had to survive normal British life?

Posted by James_Whiteside45@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 297 comments

What’s something that instantly tells you someone has never had to survive normal British life?

Posted by James_Whiteside45@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 297 comments

bowak@reddit

Yes let's bulldoze everything to choke our cities with congestion.  You sold have loved being a traffic engineer 60 years ago. I'm sorry to got to miss out on when people thought endless ringroads were utopian.

I'm seeing more and more AI generated stuff around and about, why does it all look the same?

Posted by blizeH@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 266 comments

bowak@reddit

That's been the norm for them, and before that Debenhams' (and presumably others) own brand stuff since at least the 90s. Especially if it's faux-Americana, stuff like "Bob's Shrimp Shack 1962" etc

is iD mobile a scam?

Posted by Tall_Moose9333@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 451 comments

bowak@reddit

I'm on my second Pixel a from them. Absolute steal of a price. I did question if it was too good to be true at first and really the only downside is that the network is 3.

What’s something that instantly tells you someone has never had to survive normal British life?

Posted by James_Whiteside45@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 297 comments

bowak@reddit

And what do you think would happen to rush hour traffic in many, many places if all the people commuting by train suddenly switched to car?

What are the pros and cons of buying vs renting car for weekend trips?

Posted by Familiar9709@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 52 comments

bowak@reddit

Definitely. I'm only a 10 minute walk from my local Enterprise and it can make a huge difference for weekends even just to go up to the Peak District.  On a Sunday the first train to Edale often doesn't get in until noon and by then I really want to be already on the descent and heading for a pub dinner.

What are the pros and cons of buying vs renting car for weekend trips?

Posted by Familiar9709@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 52 comments

bowak@reddit

I've been looking recently at semi-random weekends and Enterprise is normally back down to about £60ish (before they try flogging you their excess protection) for a Corsa or equivalent for 48 hours over a weekend.  They were in the £200+ range for a long time after the lockdowns but seem to have reverted to the old normal fairly recently.

Have you ever been asked for the seat reservation coupon on the train?

Posted by IdiotBearPinkEdition@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 28 comments

bowak@reddit

It is needlessly confusing. A lot of advance tickets print everyone on one recently but it doesn't seem to be universal yet.

Have you ever been asked for the seat reservation coupon on the train?

Posted by IdiotBearPinkEdition@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 28 comments

bowak@reddit

But also an understandable one as otherwise people could split the tickets to travel for half price. However, we could solve this to everyone's benefit by doing away with the stupid idea of advance tickets and just having a simpler system where you know what you're going to pay and you don't get a random amount of the ticket by remembering to go online exactly 12 weeks before.

What's your favourite thing about the UK?

Posted by Equivalent-Ad-2373@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 119 comments

What British phrases do foreigners often take too literally?

Posted by No_Mind1449@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 648 comments

bowak@reddit

The trouble with that approach though is the second order effects. If I've turned down an offer to go somewhere with person C as I have plans made with person B, but B cancels last minute as they just can't be arsed that day then that leaves me in the lurch. Exceptions obviously for illness (whether short term or long term), a family emergency, they never otherwise bail but that day was just too much etc - but if it becomes a habit that's going to be considered when deciding who to make plans with